The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Natalie knew Marcus well. He rarely talked this much all at once, so for him to suddenly open up meant something was definitely weighing on him.

He fell silent for a moment. After a long pause, he let out a sigh. "Was it that obvious?"

Natalie nodded. "Yeah, pretty obvious. What's going on?"

Marcus pressed his lips into a thin line. Another stretch of silence passed before he couldn't hold it in any longer. He pulled Natalie into his arms.

"Nat, I don't want to be apart from you. Ever since our honeymoon started, just thinking of going back to work with endless meetings, reports I can't finish, and conversations that never seem to end, I just don't want it to be over."

Now she understood. Marcus was back to being clingy. He couldn't help himself; he needed to be close.

"I have to work too, you know," Natalie said, gently patting his shoulder. "I've got just as much on my plate.

"We might not see each other much during the day, but I'll do my best to come home every night for dinner and sleep. If I take on any patients, I'll let you know ahead of time. Okay?"

Marcus didn't answer. That didn't sound okay to him at all. He wanted to be with Natalie every second of every day.

Especially when he thought about her treating patients like she had with Charles. She'd stayed at the patient's home or even at the hospital for long stretches of time, right up until they recovered.

Just thinking about that made Marcus uneasy all over again.

"Nat, if you take on a patient... can you bring family members with you?"

"Nope," Natalie replied bluntly. "Only people who are actually useful. When it comes to healing, you wouldn't be able to help.

"But you can help me run Nouvelle Zara and Goodwill Pharmacy. That way, I can focus entirely on treating patients and not get caught up in everything else. I'd still have plenty of time to spend with you."

"Really?" Marcus' eyes lit up. If helping her meant taking some weight off her shoulders, then going back to work didn't sound so bad anymore.

"Really." Natalie smiled and nodded. "But it would make things harder on you."

"Not at all." Marcus grinned. "I've got a whole team of skilled, professional staff. When the time comes, I'll just delegate the work to them."

"Oh?" Natalie laughed. "That works too. If you've got a solid executive team managing things, you'll have more time to relax and be with me."

"Yeah. Holden Group's in my father's hands now, so I don't need to worry too much for the time being. Let's just enjoy our time together. Everything else can wait."

"Okay."

They held each other for a while longer in the woods before Marcus finally let her go.

"Nat, teach me more about herbs."

"Sure."

The two of them went back to searching for herbs in the forest. As they walked, they chatted casually. Time passed quickly, almost without them noticing.

At that moment in Ashford Vale, inside Hope Elementary School, Maverick had just finished surgery.

Taylor and Declan immediately arranged for someone to take him home.

After dropping Maverick off, Declan gave Lorraine a few instructions on what to watch out for, but she kept glancing anxiously toward the school.

"Um... Mr. Cole, is Lynette coming home today? Is she ever coming back?" she asked.

"That's up to her," Taylor replied, pulling the corner of his mouth into a forced smile.

"You all signed the agreement. Don't break it, or deal with the consequences yourself. You don't want something like this happening again at home, do you?" he added, gesturing toward the still-unconscious Maverick.

"Marcus and Natalie aren't people you want to mess with. If you provoke him, it wouldn't be surprising if he turned this whole village upside down. So, do yourselves a favor and stay out of trouble."

"Um... who exactly is this Mr. Marcus?" Lorraine asked cautiously. "With Maverick like this, how are we supposed to manage at home now?"

"Don't you still have a son?" Taylor replied flatly, clearly catching the implication.in her tone. "And you're still capable too. You were willing to sacrifice for your son and husband before, so why are you complaining

now?"

"I just wanted to ask," Lorraine muttered, eyes lowered and fixed on the tips of her shoes. "Since Lynette's going off to school... can we get the 10,000 dollars she promised us now?

"I mean, her dad and I raised her, and now she's gone and made a mess of everything. We get it-this daughter of ours is a lost cause, We won't be counting on her in the future, but that 10,000 dollars, she owes us that." noveldrama

Taylor and Declan both felt a wave of sadness and pity for Lynette. With parents like this, if she didn't draw a hard line, they'd bleed her dry for the rest of her life.

"You can get the 10,000 dollars now," Taylor siad, his voice turning cold. "But if Lynette brings you a contract to legally cut ties, you'll have to sign it.

"Having a mother like you, that's Lynette's tragedy. Just hope that when you can't count on your son or your husband anymore, you don't suddenly remember you still have a daughter."

Lorraine opened her mouth, but her face darkened, and she said nothing in return.

"Declan, let's go," Taylor called out, not sparing another glance as he turned and walked out of Maverick's house.

When they returned to the school, they saw Natalie and Marcus walking up together.

"Natalie, Marcus." Taylor stepped forward and shared what Lorraine had asked.

"Natalie, Marcus, since you're leaving this time, I'd like Lynette, Sue, and Ann to go with you. If they stay here, life probably won't be easy for them.

"If they leave now, they can start adjusting to the outside world. Once school starts, they'll be able to focus on their studies."

"Sure," Natalie agreed. "Go ahead and let them know. Marcus and I are getting ready to head out."

"Got it." Taylor turned to find the girls, while Natalie pulled Marcus with her back to their room to shower, change, and pack their things.

By the time they came downstairs, feeling fresh and ready to go, Lynette, Sue, and Ann were already packed and waiting.

They didn't have much, just a backpack and a plastic bag each. The bags were see-through, and it was clear they only carried a couple of changes of clothes.

"Hi, Ms. Natalie, Mr. Marcus," the girls greeted them respectfully, cautiously. "After we leave, we'll find part-time jobs as soon as we can. We'll try to earn our own tuition and living expenses."

"You don't need to worry about that," Natalie said calmly. "Your job right now is to study. There'll be plenty of chances to earn money later.

"If you waste your time chasing small paychecks when you should be studying, it might seem like you're getting ahead, but what you lose will be far greater. "The opportunities you miss won't be something a little money can replace. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture.

"The Goodwill Foundation puts a lot of money every year into helping kids who can't afford school. Once you finish your studies, there'll be plenty of chances for you to give back.

"And if you don't, that's fine too. Goodwill's mission has never been about getting something in return. It's about giving kids like you—those who are a little down on their luck-a chance to change your fate.

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"We've given you the chance. Now it's up to you to decide if you'll take it. Lynette, Sue, Ann, you three are incredibly resilient, and you're not afraid of hard work. I believe in you. But more importantly, you have to believe in yourself."